411 REFERENCE · Wikipedia
1966 in sports
Reference material by Wikipedia contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
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October 2017
1966 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
1966 sports
Alpine skiing
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships –
Men's combined champion: Jean-Claude Killy, France
Women's combined champion: Marielle Goitschel, France
American football
Orange Bowl (1965 season):
The Alabama Crimson Tide won 39–28 over the Nebraska Cornhuskers to win the AP Poll national championship after the previous #1 ranked Michigan State Spartans lost in the Rose Bowl and the #2 ranked Arkansas Razorbacks lost in the Cotton Bowl. This was the first time the AP conducted its final rankings at the conclusion of the postseason bowl games.
June 8: The AFL and NFL reach an agreement to merge as equals into one league under the NFL name, to take effect with the 1970 season.
AFL Championship – Kansas City Chiefs won 31–7 over the Buffalo Bills to advance to Super Bowl I in Jan. 1967
NFL Championship – Green Bay Packers won 34–27 over the Dallas Cowboys to advance to Super Bowl I in Jan. 1967
Each of the two existing top-level professional leagues added a new team for the 1966 season. The Atlanta Falcons joined the NFL, and the Miami Dolphins joined the AFL.
1966 NCAA University Division football season:
November 19 – The top-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the second-ranked Michigan State Spartans play to a 10–10 tie; Notre Dame retains its No. 1 ranking in the polls and are later named AP and UPI national champions.
Artistic gymnastics
World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
Men's all-around champion: Mikhail Voronin, USSR
Women's all-around champion: Věra Čáslavská, Czechoslovakia
Men's team competition champion: Japan
Women's team competition champion: Czechoslovakia
Association football
England
FA Cup final – Everton win 3–2 against Sheffield Wednesday
International
World Cup – England defeats Germany to win the 1966 World Cup Final.
FIFA decide to give the right to host the 1974 FIFA World Cup, 1978 FIFA World Cup and 1982 Football World Cup to West Germany, Argentina and Spain respectively
Athletics
July 17 – American runner Jim Ryun sets a new world record for the mile at 3:51.3
August – 1966 Commonwealth Games held at Kingston, Jamaica
September – 1966 European Championships in Athletics held at Budapest
December – 1966 Asian Games held at Bangkok
Australian rules football
Victorian Football League
St Kilda wins the 70th VFL Premiership (St Kilda 10.14 (74) d Collingwood 10.13 (73))
Brownlow Medal awarded to Ian Stewart (St Kilda)
Baseball
1966 in baseball
Milwaukee Braves move to Atlanta, Georgia and become the Atlanta Braves.
January 20 – The BBWAA elects Ted Williams to the Hall of Fame. Williams, the last batter to hit .400, receives 282 of a possible 302 votes.
Roberto Clemente is the National League MVP.
Frank Robinson is the American League MVP.
Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers is the Major League Baseball Cy Young Award
Tommie Agee of the Chicago White Sox is the American League MLB Rookie of the Year award
Tommy Helms of the Cincinnati Red is the National League MLB Rookie of the Year award
Ted Williams is inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame.
World Series – Baltimore Orioles win 4 games to 0 over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Series MVP: Frank Robinson, Baltimore
College World Series – Ohio State defeats Oklahoma State 8–2 at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. Ohio State pitcher Steve Arlin is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
Basketball
NCAA University Division Basketball Championship –
Texas Western wins 72–65 over Kentucky
NBA Finals –
Boston Celtics won 4 games to 3 over the Los Angeles Lakers. This would be the last of the Celtics' record eight straight NBA titles.
NBA MVP – Philadelphia 76ers center Wilt Chamberlain
A first season of Basketball Bundesliga was held in Germany on October 1.November 2020
A first Basketball Super League of Turkey games was held on December 13, replace from three regional (Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir) basketball league were merger.October 2020
An NBA club, Chicago Bulls was founded in Illinois, United States on January 16.October 2020
Boxing
March 29, Muhammad Ali defeats George Chuvalo in a 15-round unanimous decision
April 25 at New York City, World Welterweight Champion Emile Griffith won a 15-round unanimous decision over Dick Tiger to also become the World Middleweight Champion.
May 21 Muhammad Ali defeats Henry Cooper with a 6th-round TKO
August 6 Muhammad Ali defeats Brian London with a 3rd-round KO
September 10 Muhammad Ali defeats Karl Mildenberger with a 12th-round TKO
November 14, Muhammad Ali knocks out Cleveland Williams in three rounds to retain the WBC heavyweight title.
Canadian football
Grey Cup – Saskatchewan Roughriders win 29–14 over the Ottawa Rough Riders
Vanier Cup – St. Francis Xavier X-Men win 40–14 over the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
Cycling
Giro d'Italia won by Gianni Motta of Italy
Tour de France – Lucien Aimar of France
Vuelta a España – Francisco Gabica of Spain
UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Rudi Altig of Germany
Figure skating
World Figure Skating Championships –
Men's champion: Emmerich Dänzer, Austria
Ladies' champion: Peggy Fleming, United States
Pair skating champions: Ludmila Belousova & Oleg Protopopov, Soviet Union
Ice dancing champions: Diane Towler & Bernard Ford, Great Britain
Golf
July 24 – Tony Lema (32), American golf champion, died in an air crash at Munster, Indiana
Men's professional
Masters Tournament – Jack Nicklaus
U.S. Open – Billy Casper
British Open – Jack Nicklaus becomes the fourth player to win all four major professional championships.
PGA Championship – Al Geiberger
PGA Tour money leader – Billy Casper – $121,945
Men's amateur
British Amateur – Bobby Cole
U.S. Amateur – Gary Cowan
Women's professional
Women's Western Open – Mickey Wright
LPGA Championship – Gloria Ehret
U.S. Women's Open – Sandra Spuzich
Titleholders Championship – Kathy Whitworth
LPGA Tour money leader – Kathy Whitworth – $33,517
Harness racing
Romeo Hanover wins the United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
Cane Pace – Romeo Hanover
Little Brown Jug – Romeo Hanover
Messenger Stakes – Romeo Hanover
United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
Hambletonian – Kerry Way
Yonkers Trot – Polaris
Kentucky Futurity – Governor Armbro
Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
Pacers: Chamfer Star
Trotters: Yamamoto
Horse racing
Steeplechases
Cheltenham Gold Cup – Arkle
Grand National – Anglo
Flat races
Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Galilee
Canada – Queen's Plate won by Titled Hero
France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Bon Mot
Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Sodium
English Triple Crown Races:
2,000 Guineas Stakes – Kashmir
The Derby – CharlottownEpsom Derby History, Winners, & Facts Britannica https://www.britannica.com/sports/Derby-horse-race www.britannica.com 3 January 2022 en
St. Leger Stakes – Sodium
United States Triple Crown Races:
Kentucky Derby – Kauai King
Preakness Stakes – Kauai King
Belmont Stakes – Amberoid
Ice hockey
Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks
Hart Memorial Trophy – for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks
Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens won 4–2 over the Detroit Red Wings
World Hockey Championship
Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Czechoslovakia
NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – Michigan State University Spartans defeat Clarkson University Golden Knights 6–1 in Minneapolis
Motorsport
1966 in motorsport List of 1966 motorsport champions
Orienteering
First Orienteering World Championships held 1–2 October in Fiskars, Finland.http://orienteering.org/events/?event_id=6 World Orienteering Championships 1966 International Orienteering Federation 25 September 2017
Rugby league
1966 Great Britain Lions tour
1966 New Zealand rugby league season
1966 NSWRFL season
1965–66 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1966–67 Northern Rugby Football League season
Rugby union
72nd Five Nations Championship series is won by Wales
Snooker
World Snooker Championship challenge match: John Pulman beats Fred Davis 5–2 in matches.
Speed skating
January 4 – death of Inga Artamonova (29), Russian world speed-skating champion, who was murdered by her husband
Tennis
Australia
Australian Men's Singles Championship – Roy Emerson (Australia) defeats Arthur Ashe (USA) 6–4, 6–8, 6–2, 6–3
Australian Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Smith Court (Australia) defeats Nancy Richey (USA) walkover
England
Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Manuel Santana (Spain) defeats Dennis Ralston (USA) 6–4, 11–9, 6–4
Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Billie Jean King (USA) defeats Maria Bueno (Brazil) 6–3, 3–6, 6–1
France
French Men's Singles Championship – Tony Roche (Australia) defeats István Gulyás (Hungary) 6–1, 6–4, 7–5
French Women's Singles Championship – Ann Haydon Jones (Great Britain) defeats Nancy Richey (USA) 6–3, 6–1
USA
American Men's Singles Championship – Tournament did not start until 1968
American Women's Singles Championship – Tournament did not start until 1968
Davis Cup
1966 Davis Cup – AUS 4–1 IND at Kooyong Stadium (grass) Melbourne, Australia
Volleyball
1966 FIVB Men's World Championship in Prague won by Czechoslovakia
Multi-sport events
Asian Games held in Bangkok, Thailand
1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games held in Kingston, JamaicaOur Games Commonwealth Games Federation https://thecgf.com/games thecgf.com 4 January 2022 en 4 January 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220104004327/https://thecgf.com/games dead
Central American and Caribbean Games held in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Fourth Winter Universiade held in Sestriere, Italy
Awards
Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Frank Robinson, Major League Baseball
Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Kathy Whitworth, LPGA golf
Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year - Jim Ryun, running
References
Category:Sports by year